The Divine Move
by Calai'di
Summary: Crossover with Hikaru no Go. When Yuusei encounters a spirit in love with Go, he thinks its just one more thing to deal with. He never expected the Yliaster might be involved. eventual YuseixJack, HikaruxAkira. spoilers.
1. Turn I: Tengen

AN: I'm not sure why I'm posting this already, except that I always have this urge to post something once a chapter's completed. It's a wonder Aki isn't up yet. Anyway, here's another fic that will probably take ages to be completed, although probably will eventually be completed.

Disclaimers: I don't own either Yugioh 5D's or Hikaru no Go. I do, however, know how to play both Yugioh and Go.

Pairings: Yusei/Jack, Hikaru/Akira

Rating: T

Warnings: It's a crossover fic. If you don't like them, well...this isn't the fic for you. Also, there will be spoilers to both series. And there will be SLASH. It probably won't be heavy, but it will be there. There will also be GXyness with card spirits (like in "Dragons Always Know Best"), but it really isn't much more than is already in 5D's.

Summary: When Yuusei encounters a spirit in love with Go, he thinks its just one more thing to deal with. He never expected the Yliaster might be involved.

* * *

**The Divine Move**

**Turn I: Tengen**

_Tengen / An opening move on the tengen, or center point of the board, is not unheard of, but is uncommon. It's a difficult move to pull off in the end, and gives infinite possibilities for how the game could be played._

* * *

Yusei stared at the figure in front of him. The boy had appeared out of nowhere looking just as confused as he felt. Yusei glanced down at the wooden block he'd been cleaning off. It was still scorched and a corner was still drenched in blood, as though his cleaning had done nothing.

He looked back up at the boy. The other boy was probably about his age, maybe a little older, though his childish curiosity of the world around him would have never given that away. His bangs were blond, probably bleached because the rest of his hair was black. His clothes were nice, but not formal, as though he were about to go on a date with someone he had been with for months.

The boy finally finished his wide-eyed study of the room and looked back at him. His green eyes fixed on Yusei's own.

"Where am I?"

Yusei frowned slightly. He wasn't sure what he was dealing with here, but would it hurt to give this boy information? Probably not.

"You're in Neo Domino City," Yusei answered. The boy frowned, looking around again.

"Neo Domino...ah, I remember! I was in Domino before, for a Go event." The boy turned to him hesitantly, asking, as though afraid of the answer, "Why is there a _Neo_ Domino now?"

_Fire everywhere, embers falling, a wall crashing down nearby. The world aflame, a creak from above—_

"_No! Yusei!"_

"There was an explosion," Yusei said softly, his stomach twisting at the memory. "Several, actually. Terrorist acts. Half the city was destroyed."

The boy blanched, suddenly looking sick. "When was that?"

"Thirteen years ago."

"What year is it now?"

Yusei eyed him curiously. Why would he need to ask a question like that? "It's 2021."

The boy cursed and looked away, finally noticing the block of wood Yusei had been cleaning off. His eyes widened and he reached out, mimicking Yusei's earlier movements.

"That would explain it," he murmured to himself. His eyes shifted back up to Yusei. Yusei was watching him curiously, wondering what the importance of the board might be.

Suddenly, the boy thrust a hand at him. Yusei stared at it in surprise.

"I'm Shindou Hikaru," the boy said. "I'm twenty-one years old, and a 6-dan Go pro. And I died thirteen years ago in those terrorist attacks."

Yusei stared at him in shock. Finally, he lifted a hand to take Hikaru's. It passed right through.

* * *

Hikaru couldn't believe his luck. He remembered the explosions this boy had mentioned; he and Akira had heard a couple in the distance before the world around them had been engulfed in fire. He remembered falling into blackness, but he hadn't realized he'd died. But here he was, in the same position Sai had been in all those years ago. He wondered he had come back for the same reason Sai had—his unquenchable thirst for Go.

He didn't think that was the only reason, though it was probably part of it.

What to do now, though? Akira would be gone now; he had probably died at the same time Hikaru had. Hikaru felt a painful lump in his chest at the thought, so he refused to think about it. Thinking about Akira dead would make him cry.

And he wanted to play Go, but he didn't know whether he could in this time. He doubted Go had died out, but he remembered how difficult it had been for Sai back when Sai had first appeared. And the boy in from of him did not look like the type to play Go, anymore than he had at eleven.

The boy had not said a word yet, unsettling him. Did he believe Hikaru? Would he help him? Would he abandon him? Hikaru's chest ached again, this time at the thought of Sai. Now that he himself was in this position, he felt even guiltier for being so awful to Sai at first. He hoped this boy wouldn't be like that.

Finally, the boy nodded, as though agreeing with something, and said, "I'm Fudo Yusei. I'm eighteen and a resident of Satellite. That's Old Domino. And I'm the current Duel King."

Hikaru would have breathed a sigh of relief if he could breathe. It looked like Fudo wouldn't abandon him or think he was an illusion. Now all he had to find out was whether Fudo knew how to play Go and if he'd been willing to learn if he didn't.

Fudo spoke before he could, though. "How are you here? And how can I see you? I thought ghosts were invisible."

"I'm tied to the Go board," Hikaru explained eagerly, pointing at the scorched block of wood. "You can see me because you touched it, and so now I'm tied to you as well. No one else will be able to see or hear me, even if they touch the board. They can't see how damaged it is either."

"You're tied to me?" Fudo asked, a hint of nervousness tingeing his tone.

"Yes. I don't know why, but I'll figure it out. And I'm here because my life was cut short before I could accomplish the Divine Move, before I could play all the Go I wanted. And before I could accomplish something else, although I'm not sure what that is yet."

Fudo stared at him for a long time. He finally said, a little regretfully, "I can't help you. I don't play Go. You should find someone else."

Hikaru shrugged. "I can teach you. I learned from the greatest Go player in the world, and I'm a pro myself, so I can easily teach you."

Fudo frowned and stood up. "I don't play Go. I can't help you."

Hikaru opened his mouth to protest, but a loud knocking interrupted him. He realized they were in a small storage room, and the knocking had been at the door not to far away.

"Yusei? What are you doing? You've been in there for an hour!"

"I was just looking around," Yusei answered. He walked toward the door. "I wanted to see what was here."

The door opened to reveal a tall blond man with spiky hair and a ridiculous white trench coat. One of his arms was in a sling, though he moved with the attitude that he thought it didn't need to be.

"What is there to see? There's just junk in here," the man said. His voice was deep and rich, the exact opposite of Sai's.

Fudo shrugged. "You can find some interesting stuff in junk."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Of course, says the one who built two D-Wheels out of junk. C'mon, I was going to show you around, remember?"

Fudo nodded and moved to follow him. Hikaru got up and moved to follow Fudo. Maybe he could change Fudo's mind about Go the next time they could talk. Fudo had said he was the "Duel King" after all; he must have some interest in games.

Hikaru paused halfway to the door. By his feet sat a second Go board, this one a little worse for wear than his own. Why would the blond own two boards if he seemed to think they were junk? Pros, and enthusiasts, were known to own more than one but it was uncommon for anyone else.

Still curious, Hikaru bounded after Fudo and the blond.

* * *

Yusei almost thought he should be annoyed when Hikaru caught up with them. Almost. He wasn't, because he understood that the ghost was out of his element and needed something familiar to cling to. Yusei was the most familiar thing he had right now, besides his Go board. But he did have to wonder how long Hikaru was going to follow him around. The man was three years older than him; he should be the mature one.

Yusei had a good feeling that he wasn't.

He had to admit he felt a little guilty about Hikaru's situation. After all, Yusei was probably his only hope to play Go again or enjoy his afterlife at all. But Yusei did have his own business to worry about, like Director Godwin and his obsessive interest in the Signers. And being a King that the populace knew was from Satellite (they had already had a Satellite-native King, but Jack had kept that fact hidden very well). And how he was going to tolerate living with Jack again.

Because that was the deal he'd had to make with Director Godwin: stay with Jack, or let his friends get killed. Yusei was starting to get tired of having his friends' lives held over his head, but he wasn't about to test Godwin on whether the threats were real or not. He would have to contact Saiga and see if he could get his friends out of Satellite. If anyone could do it, it was him.

For now, though, he would have to stay with Jack. He didn't mind it too much, except that Jack seemed convinced that Yusei still hated him for what he'd done. In fact, Yusei had never hated him, nor did he think he ever could; he'd only been extremely annoyed and disappointed. And now that he had Stardust back and he knew why Jack had taken her in the first place, he'd completely forgiven his old friend. He only wished Jack would realize that. The man acted too carefully around him, as though one wrong word would drive him away.

"I was expecting something a little more futuristic."

Yusei glanced at Hikaru. The ghost seemed disappointed as he looked around.

"Like what?" Yusei murmured, glancing at Jack to make sure he didn't hear.

"Like flying cars and robots and that sort of thing." Hikaru shrugged, stuffing his hand into his pockets. "And you don't have to talk out loud. I'll hear what you say in your head."

Yusei nodded, almost smiling. _"You expected that in thirteen years?"_

"Anything's possible."

Yusei did smile at that. Hikaru was right, of course. And they had advanced quite far in thirteen years, though not to the point of flying cars. Hikaru would like what he saw.

"We'll sleep in here," Jack said, flicking on the light of the last room.

Yusei looked around, as uninterested in this room as he had been with the rest of the mansion. The whole place seemed far too big for only two people; the bedroom itself was as big as the area they and their friends had shared back in Satellite. Still it was tastefully, though sparsely, decorated and felt comfortable and lived-in.

"There's only one bed," Yusei said, looking back at Jack.

"The second one hasn't arrived yet," Jack said. He almost sounded embarrassed. "You can take it until yours is delivered."

Yusei shook his head. "I can sleep on the couch—"

"Yusei," Jack interrupted. "You're the guest here, and the King. You're getting the bed."

"Jack..." Yusei did not feel comfortable taking the bed when it was Jack's home and Jack had just gotten out of the hospital. Jack's arm was still in a sling, even. Sleeping anywhere other than the bed and floor could make his injury worse, and Yusei doubted Jack was planning on sleeping on the floor.

"Why don't you share?" Hikaru suggested, seemingly forgetting that only Yusei could hear him. "It's a big enough bed."

Yusei frowned. That could be awkward. While they had practically shared a bed back in Satellite, that had bee two years ago. A lot had changed since then. They were rivals now, whether Yusei had forgiven Jack or not. It was awkward enough that they had to live together.

"What are you thinking?" Jack asked, frowning at him. Yusei blinked at him, surprised. It'd been a while since someone could tell his moods so accurately. He wasn't used to it anymore.

"We could share," Yusei said, refusing to sound hesitant. "We've done it before. I refuse to take the bed when you need it. I'll sleep on the floor."

Jack studied him for a moment. Yusei didn't care what he said; he was fine sharing the bed, and he was fine sleeping on the floor. It didn't matter to him.

But for some reason, it would matter to Jack.

"You're in Neo Domino now," Jack finally said. "I refuse to allow you to sleep on the floor as if we were still in Satellite. We'll share."

Yusei nodded, secretly glad. The closest he'd gotten to sleeping in a real bed in months was while he'd been in the detention center. The last of their mattresses in Satellite had fallen apart and they hadn't found another yet.

"And we're going shopping for new clothes for you," Jack added, looking him over with a scowl.

Yusei frowned and crossed his arms. "These are fine."

"You need more clothes than that."

"You don't need to go out of your way for me," Yusei said. "I won money for winning the Fortune Cup. I'll get some clothes later."

"No, you didn't, and I'm not going out of my way for you. I'm giving you what you should have."

"What do you mean I didn't?" Yusei asked curiously. He didn't really care whether he had money or not, because if he had to, he was willing to borrow some of Jack's clothes, but he'd been sure hid invitation had mentioned prize money.

Jack sighed. "You're not allowed to earn money anymore, remember? I'm sure they told you that when you were Marked. Everything you won got transferred into one of my accounts."

"You're not allowed to earn money?" Hikaru asked, horrified. "Why not?"

"_I'll explain later,"_ Yusei said. He rubbed at the Marker on his cheek in annoyance. He hated having to rely on someone else like he would have to now. It didn't matter if that someone else was Jack.

Jack moved to cross his arms but quickly decided that was a bad idea. "So, if you don't want to help pick clothes out, I'll send Sagiri to get you clothes, and you'll have no say in what you get."

Yusei sighed. "I'd forgotten how stubborn you are."

"And I haven't forgotten how stubborn you are," Jack said.

"I'd like to see the rest of the city," Hikaru spoke up. "Maybe find a Go salon."

Yusei glanced at him. The ghost was watching them curiously, if not with a little apprehension because of Yusei current job situation. Yusei wondered what their argument looked like from the outside. From the inside, it seemed childish.

He might as well humor Hikaru. Maybe the ghost would leave him alone sooner.

"All right, I'll go shopping with you," Yusei conceded. "But we'll look for cards too."

"Of course." Jack gave him a look that told him he was crazy for even think Jack might refuse that. The he reached up and tapped at a spot in the air—a screen appeared before his fingers.

"Wow..." Hikaru said, hurrying over to look at it. Yusei moved closer as well. He'd heard about it, but he'd never actually seen the Solid Vision systems work like this before.

A girl with blue hair and golden eyes appeared on the screen. Yusei assumed this was Sagiri, since he didn't know who else Jack would call that he didn't know.

"We're going out," Jack said. "I don't care if the Director knows or not."

The girl's eyes widened. "You need your rest, Atlus-sama! Director Godwin wouldn't allow this!"

"I don't care. We're going out," Jack repeated, hardly looking surprised. "We'll be eating dinner while we're out. Don't expect us back until late."

He tapped the screen again and it disappeared before Sagiri could protest. He smirked at Yusei and started out of the room.

"Let's go before Sagiri tries to stop us."

Yusei nodded, thinking it would be more likely that Jaeger or Godwin himself would try to stop them than Jack's keeper.

Jack led them out to the front of the mansion where both their D-Wheels were parked. Yusei didn't bother to ask how they had gotten there, since he doubted he would get an answer, but he was still surprised. They were at the top of a leaning skyscraper, after all.

"You'll see how when we come back," Jack said with a smirk. He grabbed his helmet and put it on. "For now, just follow me."

Yusei didn't think Jack had been so perceptive to what he was thinking before he'd left Satellite. Why was he now? But he didn't have time to wonder; Jack was already starting up his D-  
Wheel. Yusei put on his helmet and straddled his own D-Wheel.

"_Can you keep up with us?"_ Yusei asked Hikaru as he started up the D-Wheel.

"I should be able to, but I think I'll ride with you, just to make sure." Hikaru climbed on behind Yusei, although Yusei couldn't feel it.

Jack shot off, heading for a large hole in the middle of the top of the building. Yusei sped after him, staring at the hole. It looked like the mouth of a tunnel...but that would be completely insane. Even for Jack, who did more stunts while duelling than anyone Yusei had ever met.

Of course, Jack drove right into the hole. Yusei took a brief glance back to make sure Hikaru was still with him before plunging after him.

Hikaru screamed as the floor practically fell away and their speed quadrupled. That was good; it kept Yusei from making any noise himself. The tunnel seemed to go through the center of the building so it was just flat enough to keep them from being in free-fall. Yusei desperately hoped it levelled out a bit at the bottom, or they'd crash into the street. How did Jack do this all the time?

The tunnel did level out at the bottom, though it was only just enough to keep them from crashing. They shot out into sunlight still three times faster than their D-Wheels were meant to go. Immediately, Yusei had to apply the break to keep from running into Jack, who had slowed as son as he reached the street.

He pulled up next to Jack's D-Wheel and pushed a button on his helmet that would open a radio frequency between them.

"Jack, you're insane," he said into the receiver. Jack's voice laughed in his ear.

"_Fun, isn't it?"_ Jack responded.

Yusei rolled his eyes, but he couldn't keep a smile from forming on his lips. It had definitely been an adrenaline rush.

Yusei shut off the radio and glanced back at Hikaru. "You okay?"

"You do this all the time?" Hikaru demanded. Yusei was glad the man wasn't corporeal, or he would have been in a lot of pain from how tightly Hikaru was clinging to him.

"Not quite like that," Yusei said, gesturing vaguely behind them. "That was Jack being an idiot. But I am a riding duelist, so this—" he gestured at his D-Wheel— "I do all the time. Especially now that I'm King."

"What does that mean, that you're King?" Hikaru asked. Apparently, he'd decided it was safe for them to talk now, while the sound of the wind would keep Jack from hearing them. "What are you the King of?"

"Duel Monsters. It means I'm the best duelist in Neo Domino. It used to be Jack. His injury is from our duel that I won a few days ago."

"Is it safe for him to be driving?"

"No. That won't stop him."

Hikaru was silent for a moment. Then he said, in a voice that was supposed to sound innocent but failed miserably, "You could be King in Go too. Well, not _King_ exactly, but practically the same—"

"I'm not interested in being King at all," Yusei said. "I would rather let Jack keep the title. I don't duel for prestige."

Hikaru fell silent again. Yusei shifted so he could catch Hikaru's reflection in his visor. To his surprise, Hikaru had a faint smile on his face, as though what Yusei had said had been exactly what he'd wanted to hear.

"Good," Hikaru said. Yusei could hear the appreciation in his voice.

Yusei sighed and turned his attention back on the road. If Hikaru really had come back because he still wanted to play Go, it must have been frustrating for him to be attached to someone who didn't play. Would it really be so bad playing a couple games? Yusei couldn't see the harm in it, except that both he and Jack were famous.

They'd have just as many problems shopping out in the open, which they were already doing.

"Yusei, we're turning here," Jack's voice crackled in his ear. Jack's D-Wheel shot forward and turned to the right. Yusei followed easily.

"I'll look for a Go salon while we're out," Yusei said. "You can play a few games."

"Really? Thanks!" Hikaru exclaimed, hugging him tight. Yusei winced and Hikaru's arms went through his torso.

Jack slowed to a stop, forcing Yusei to do the same. He took his time dismounting and taking off his helmet, knowing that Jack was waiting on him. He might have agreed to this trip, but he didn't have to make it easy on Jack. It was too much fun to push his buttons.

"Clothes first, then cards," Jack said when Yusei walked over to him. Yusei nodded and followed him into the building.

Jack had taken them to a mall that was clearly one of the nicer ones in the city—but was also fairly empty. Enough people were wandering around that no store would go out of business, but few enough that he and Jack couldn't be overwhelmed by a mob of people. Yusei had a feeling this was the only place Jack ever came to because of it.

"Let's look here first," Jack said, heading for the nearest clothing store. Yusei sighed and followed, half-heartedly wishing that he had refused this trip after all.

* * *

Hikaru was starting to get antsy. Even though it had been years since the first time he'd picked up a Go stone, he hadn't gained much maturity. He'd gained enough that he could tell himself when he was a little too hyper or a tad too emotional, but it didn't stop him from acting that way anyway. And one thing he'd never lost was his enthusiasm for Go and how excited he could get before a challenging game or how antsy he could get if he hadn't played for a while.

But it looked as though he would have to wait a while longer yet; although Jack had bought Yusei an entire wardrobe, he didn't seem satisfied. He dragged Yusei into another store, which Hikaru hoped was the last one in the mall.

"Atlus-sama!" the store clerk greeted as they walked through the door. "Good afternoon! How may we be of service today?"

"We're just looking for now," Jack answered. Yusei relaxed a little.

Hikaru wandered away from them, looking around with only a slight interest. He could understand now why Sai had been so distracted whenever they went out, but he himself was depressed. He was dead. He'd never eat ramen again, or hold a Go stone, or laugh with Akira and Waya and Isumi. He'd never see his friends again. He couldn't do anything on his own any more.

He wished, not for the first time, that he hadn't been so mean to Sai while he'd been around.

He finished a circuit of the store and sat down by the entrance, watching people pass by who couldn't see him. How long would he live like this, as a ghost? He wanted to keep playing Go, definitely, but he thought he was lucky Yusei had agreed to let him play so quickly. Go would likely become a rare thing in his life now. Until he figured out what his true purpose was, would he stay like this? He didn't mind finding out about this Duel Monsters Yusei and Jack played, but he didn't want to give up Go either.

"Are you okay, mister?"

Hikaru looked up. A small boy had crouched in front of him, head cocked curiously to the side.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Hikaru answered, too shocked to say much else.

The boy gave him a big grin. "Me too. That's why I'm here talkin' to you!"

Hikaru smiled in return. "Won't your mother be worried?"

The boy shrugged and his grin got bigger.

"Ryu!"

The boy jumped to his feet and turned around. And woman was hurrying towards them.

"Ryu, there you are! What have I told you about running off like that?"

"Sorry, mom," Ryu said, sounding sufficiently admonished. "I just wanted to talk to this guy."

Hikaru knew without the look the mother gave Ryu that she couldn't see him.

She decided to play along, answering, "Then what have I told you about talking to strangers?"

Hikaru turned away from the two of them, scanning over the store to see if Yusei and Jack were any closer. They were standing by the counter, paying for whatever Jack had convinced Yusei he should buy. That was good. They would leave soon.

"Bye, mister!" Ryu called as he got dragged away by his mother. Hikaru smiled and waved to him. He remembered doing exactly the same thing to his own mother.

"_We're leaving,"_ Yusei said just before he and Jack passed by him and walked out of the store. _"Jack said that's the last store, so it's just dinner before we find a Go salon."_

Hikaru grinned and hurried after them. "Awesome. Then you'll see how great Go is, and you'll want to see me play all the time!"

He only caught the brief smile that formed on Yusei's lips because he was looking for it.

"_We'll see."_


	2. Turn II: Fuseki

AN: This chapter bounces between POVs a lot. Just warning you.

* * *

**The Divine Move**

**Turn II: Fuseki**

_Fuseki / The opening stage of game during which the two players map out their territory on the board. Ends when the first fight begins._

* * *

"Jack, let's pull over here," Yusei said into his radio. He didn't give Jack a chance to respond before he slowed to a stop. If Jack didn't listen and kept going, he'd realize Yusei was missing and backtrack eventually.

Jack only took a moment to react and turn around. He stopped in front of Yusei, leaning around the front of his D-Wheel to see him.

"Why are we stopping?"

Yusei pointed at a sign behind them that read "Go Salon."

"I want to play a game."

"You play?"

Yusei was suddenly very glad for their two year rift. Jack had no idea what had happened to him in those two years.

"I started learning not long after you left," Yusei answered. He dismounted and pulled his helmet off. "I want to see what the players in Neo Domino are like."

Jack sighed but got off his own bike and pulled off his helmet.

"You're a lot better at this than I was," Hikaru said in awe. Yusei set his helmet down on his seat.

"_It's easy manipulating Jack,"_ Yusei answered. _"You just have to know what card to play."_

"Why did you start playing Go?" Jack asked, walking up to him. "Isn't an old man's game?"

Yusei waited for him to catch up before he started walking toward the stairs that lead to the Go salon.

"It's good for strategy," Yusei said, although he wasn't sure about that. He didn't know anything more about Go than what it looked like and that it did have the reputation of being "an old man's game." But he saw Hikaru nod out of the corner of his eye, so it was probably true.

"I'll explain everything as we get to it," Hikaru said. Yusei glanced at him; that man was grinning and looked like he was finding it difficult not to run ahead of them.

At the bottom of the stairs, Hikaru finally gave up on holding back and ran forward into, and through, a door. He stuck his head back out a second later.

"In here, Yusei!"

Yusei walked to the door and pulled it open. Immediately, they were hit with a wall of cigarette smoke and the sound of clacking and murmuring. Hikaru stood by a counter off to their right. The rest of the small front room was filled with long tables holding four Go boards each.

"Hello! Are you here to play?" asked the man behind the counter. Yusei nodded and walked over, Jack trailing reluctantly behind him. The man's eyes shifted over to the blond and widened dramatically.

"Atlus-sama! So good to see you again! Are you here to play too?"

Yusei glance at him and raised an eyebrow. "Old man's game" indeed. Jack glared back at him, cheeks flushed a little with embarrassment.

"I might," he muttered, answering the man behind the counter. "And I only started playing a couple months ago," he added to Yusei.

"Hurry and sign in, Yusei!" Hikaru urged, pointing at a sheet of paper lying on the desk.

"You'll have to sign in here," the man said, also pointing at the paper. "Write down your name and experience. It's 750 yen for adults."

"Write down '4-dan' under experience," Hikaru said as Yusei took up a pen. Yusei nodded and wrote down what he needed to. Then he turned to Jack for the money he needed to pay.

"Yusei Fudo? The new duel King?"

Both Jack and Yusei tensed, though for different reasons. Yusei set the money on the counter.

"Yes."

"You don't need to pay here, either of you," the man said, shaking his head.

"I'd like to anyway," Yusei said, refusing to take the money back. Reluctantly, the man swept it off the counter into a drawer.

"Our strongest players are usually in the back over there, Fudo-sama," the man said, pointing.

"Thank you," Yusei said. Hikaru was already heading over. Yusei sighed and followed him.

In the corner sat a boy who was playing a game on his own, checking a book every now and then. He looked to be about their age, maybe a little younger, with a shock of silver hair. He looked up when Yusei and Jack approached, piercing them both with cold brown eyes.

"Yusei Fudo and Jack Atlus," he said with surprise.

Yusei nodded, annoyed that everyone knew him now.

"I'm Akihiko Tsukune," the boy said. He started clearing off the board, dumping the black and white stones in their respectful bowls. "Are you looking for someone to play?"

Yusei nodded and sat across from him at Tsukune's prompting. Jack pulled up a chair and sat near them.

"I have nothing better to do. I don't feel like playing," Jack said at Yusei's questioning look.

Yusei nodded and looked back at the board, pulling off his gloves. _"What do I do?"_ he asked Hikaru.

"You'll probably nigiri for who goes first," Hikaru said, stepping up beside him. "I don't need a handicap."

"How good are you?" Tsukune asked.

"4th dan," Yusei answered. Tsukune's eyes brightened in surprise.

"Really? We'll nigiri then." Tsukune grabbed the bowl closest to him and opened it. It was full of black stones.

"So you have white right now, good. Grab a handful of white stones. He'll put down one or two to guess odd or even. If he gets it right, he's black."

Tsukune set down one black stone. Yusei grabbed a handful of white stones and set them on the board. He quickly counted them out.

"Eleven, I'm black," Tsukune said, looking them over too. Yusei nodded and dumped the white stones back into their bowl.

Tsukune bowed very slightly. "_Onigaishimasu_."

Yusei quickly copied him, hearing Hikaru echo him. Tsukune placed a stone near the star point on the left closest to Yusei. Yusei lifted a hand to take a white stone, waiting for Hikaru to tell him what to do. The instruction didn't come immediately. Yusei glanced at Hikaru. A white _sensu_ fan had appeared in his hands and the expression on his face was one Yusei recognized as one from his duels. He often had that look on his own face.

"_Ready?"_ Yusei asked.

Hikaru nodded and pointed his fan at the board. "Third from the top, forth from the side in the lower right. Mirror his stone."

* * *

Jack wasn't sure what the hell was going on anymore. Yusei had defeated him, not once but twice, and had taken his title, although he didn't want it. Now Yusei had to live with him again so he could keep an eye on the new King. He didn't mind that too much; it was just a little awkward after two years of hating each other.

And now Yusei played Go.

Jack's blood had run cold when Yusei had first pointed at the Go salon. Akira's board had been in the storeroom. Was it possible that Akira was with Yusei now? But no, Akira had stepped up beside him, looking surprised and thoughtful. Maybe Yusei really had just started playing Go on his own.

But Jack was positive that there were no professional players in Satellite, nor was there anyway for a Satellite to take the test to become a pro. And there was no way Yusei could have gone from no experience to 4-dan in two years, not along with building another D-Wheel and working. It was impossible. Yusei may have tricked Meichi, but he liked to think he knew Yusei better than anyone. Something felt off about this.

He glanced at the spirit standing beside him. He hadn't been lying when he'd said he started playing a few months ago. He had, because that was when he'd met Akira.

_Jack liked being King. He really did. He could do practically whatever he wanted, no one knew he was from Satellite, nor would anyone find out, and he could hold it over Yusei's head if they ever met again._

_But if there was one thing he disliked about being King, it was that he had no privacy. Outside his mansion, he was constantly swarmed by fans. Inside, Godwin had cameras in every room, and he usually had a companion in Sagiri or Godwin himself._

_But he could use the threat of leaving Neo Domino to get Godwin to leave him alone. Godwin hated whenever he mentioned his old home and tried to convince Jack that he hated it too. Jack usually tried to keep up that appearance, but the truth was, he missed Satellite. He missed Yusei and Crow and even Rally. So Godwin knew his threat wasn't hollow; he really would leave._

_Jack wasn't an idiot, so he knew Godwin still had him followed while he was out. He didn't mind it so much, as long as they didn't interfere with whatever he did. He would have been worried if Godwin _didn't_ have him followed._

_Today, he'd decided to leave his D-Wheel at the edge of a street mall and walk around a bit. He would never tell anyone but Yusei, but he liked walking as much as riding his D-Wheel. Yusei had thought he was crazy, but it was true._

_It seemed a school had managed to rent the space for the day to have a festival of some sort. The stalls were manned by kids not much younger than him, so he assumed it was a high school festival. He almost turned around, since most of the people here would be rabid fans of his. But he'd been forced to leave school after sixth grade, like everyone in Satellite, so he'd never had the chance to go to a festival like this._

_Crow would laugh if he saw how weak he was being right now._

_Jack took his time walking through the festival, enjoying it despite himself. He was just starting to decide that he was hungry when a particular stall caught his eye._

_This booth was being run by the school's Go club, he guessed, from the look of the items sitting on the table: a board and a couple bowls full of black and white stones. Off to the side sat a few items that he guessed were prizes. A couple more boards sat on the ground next to the table. Jack didn't care about any of that, though._

_Why were they using a board that was so badly damaged? The whole surface was charred, and a corner looked as though it had been soaked in blood. It was difficult to tell that it _was_ a Go board. He didn't know much about Go, but he knew that no player would use a board so badly damaged, just like he wouldn't use a water-damaged card._

"_Atlus-sama! What a surprise to see you!" exclaimed the girl behind the booth. "Do you know how to play Go? Would you like to try for a prize?"_

"_No, I don't play." Jack frowned down at the board as he moved closer. He'd thought it might be a trick of the light, but no, it was really damaged. He ran his fingers over the board. "Why are you using such a damaged board?"_

_She frowned at him and looked down at the board herself. "What are you talking about? It's a beautiful board."_

_Jack pulled his hand away and studied it curiously. He'd expected his hand to be covered in soot, but it came away clean._

"_It's all burned," Jack said. "It's like it was in a fire."_

"_I don't think we're looking at the same board, Altus-sama," the girl said._

"_You can see it?"_

_Jack looked around, grateful that there was someone else who could see it and back him up. A man not much older than him had appeared beside the booth, staring at him with wide eyes. He was dressed in clothes that had gone out of style years ago, and his jet black hair was cut to his chin in a style Jack was sure had never been popular. His eyes reminded Jack of Yusei's—piercing and far too old for his age._

"_Of course I can," Jack said, trying not to sound too rude. "Can you?"_

_The man smiled with relief. "Then you can help me, I think. You're the only one who has ever seen it in this state."_

_That was bad. If he was the only one, there was no saying that both the damage to the board and this man weren't figments of his imagination._

"_Who are you?" Jack asked, ignoring the looks the girl was giving him._

"_My name is Akira Touya. I...I have been dead for thirteen years. I am tied to this Go board, so I think you can see me because you can see the true state of this board."_

_Jack shook his head. He really _was_ crazy_.

"_You'll believe in me but not a ghost?"_

_Jack jerked as though shaking off an annoying bug. Sanuye didn't know what he was talking about. A ghost was very different from a card spirit; card spirits had been proven to exist._

_Akira's smile faded a little. "You don't believe me."_

"_Of course not. That's crazy."_

"_I can prove it to you. Do you know anything about Go?"_

"_Nothing."_

_Akira nodded once then nodded to the girl. "Ask her for her hardest problem. I'll solve it. Then you'll know I am actually real."_

_Jack was reluctant to do it. He didn't like being told what to do, and he didn't like the prospect of Akira getting the problem wrong because he _was_ an illusion._

_Nevertheless, he turned back to the girl and said, "I'd like to try your hardest problem."_

"_The one to win the book?" she asked. He had to admire her for still doing her job no matter how flustered she was from his obvious insanity._

"_Book?" Jack scanned over the prizes again. A book lay near the back of the table. He glanced at Akira, who nodded. "Yes, the one for the book," he said to the girl._

_She nodded jerkily and started placing stones, checking a book every few stones. Once she was done, she moved away and said, "Solve it in three moves. Black goes first."_

_Jack looked to Akira, who had turned away to look at the board. Suddenly, the ghost smiled and leaned back. "I remember this one. Hikaru and I fought for an hour over this once."_

"_Then you don't know the answer?"_

"_No, we looked it up eventually. I was right. 14-1 black. 16-2 white. 14-5 black."_

_Jack took up a black stone, but he had no idea what the numbers meant. Akira seemed to realize this and repeated the moves, pointing out each place as he said it. Jack placed each stone as Akira pointed them out._

_The girl stared at the board in shock when he was done. She didn't say anything for a long time, longer than Jack's patience._

"_Well? Is it right?" Jack demanded._

"_Y-yes, it's right," she said, still staring at the board. "You win the book__. __Please enjoy it."_

"_Thanks." Jack was in shock himself. That certainly proved Akira's existence. He took the book and looked it over. It was a Go book, of course—he hadn't expected anything else. The title was _Shusaku Revisited_, which meant nothing to him. Then he froze as his eyes found the names of the authors._

_Meijin Hikaru Shindou and Oza Akira Touya._

"_We published it a couple months before I died," Akira said softly._

"_You should probably acquire that board," Sanuye whispered to him._

_Jack nodded; he'd already been thinking that._

"_How much are Go boards, usually?" Jack asked Akira. Akira glanced at him with surprise._

"_It depends on the board. All of these are probably about 150,000 yen."_

_Jack turned back to the girl, who looked confused as to why he hadn't left yet._

"_I want to buy this Go board from you," Jack said._

"_I-I can't sell it, I'm sorry," the girl said. "I-I can tell you a few places to buy one—"_

"_It has to be _this_ board," Jack interrupted. "What did you get it for?"_

"_This board and another were donated to us. But I really can't sell it to you."_

"_I'll buy them both for 500,000 yen," Jack said._

_Her eyes widened, but she looked even more nervous. "I-I really can't make that decision, Atlus-sama. You have to talk to Hotta-sensei about that."_

Jack had, of course, bought both boards and arranged for them to be taken back to his house. Then he'd promptly forgotten about them. Akira had hung around and persuaded him to play a few games, but usually they ended up fighting and didn't talk to each other much.

Still, Jack knew he would miss Akira if the man ever disappeared.

"_What are you thinking?"_ Jack asked him.

Akira didn't answer. He was too focused on the board, his brow crinkled a little in thought. Jack couldn't tell what he was thinking, nor what was happening on the board that was making him so thoughtful.

Sanuye appeared next to him, also looking thoughtful, though the dragon was more willing to talk than Akira.

"It's a bit coincidental, isn't it?" Sanuye said. "You know what was in the room."

"We don't know that. I bought the two boards on instinct."

"Still, he's playing well," Sanuye said. "Far above the level of 4-dan. He's close to Akira's level, if not equal to it."

Jack didn't bother to ask how the dragon could tell that. He had come to accept that both Sanuye and Iseul knew more about Japan than he would have thought, even before Godwin had told him both dragons had originated in South America.

"Of course we do," Sanuye said, hitting him over the head. "We've been wandering this world for thousands of years, following Akaki Ryu so we could protect him always. Nearly all of the Signers for the last thousand years have been in Japan. It's not our fault many of them have played Go."

"You've told me that before," Jack grumbled, looking away from him.

"Hikaru..."

Jack looked up in surprise. Akira looked just as distant as before, but Jack was sure that had been his voice.

"The guy who helped you write your Go book?" Jack asked. Akira still didn't answer.

Tsukune did instead.

Tsukune had been still for a long time, presumably thinking over his move. He suddenly looked up at Yusei, his eyes wide, almost terrified. "Where did you learn to play Go?"

"From a friend back in Satellite," Yusei said. Jack rolled his eyes. Yusei needed to learn to be more careful about admitting he was from Satellite.

Tsukune shook his head violently. "No, where did you learn to play _this_ Go?"

Yusei looked at him questioningly.

"This is Reformed Shusaku," Tsukune said, gesturing at the board. "_Perfect_ Reformed Shusaku. There have only been two people who have ever mastered it: Sai and Hikaru Shindou." Tsukune's eyes lit up dangerously, piercing a hole through Yusei's skull. "Both disappeared years ago. How did you learn this so well?"

"I had a good teacher," Yusei said. Jack could tell he was starting to get nervous, though he doubted any else could.

"What was his name?"

"Shinichiro," Yusei answered after a short pause. Tsukune's face fell.

"I see." He looked down at the board again before shaking his head. "I can't win this game. I resign."

"Thanks for the game," Yusei said, bowing, after another slight pause. He cocked his head very slightly, as though listening to something, then said, "Would you like to play another game?"

"I'd love to!" Tsukune eagerly started helping him clean up and set up again.

* * *

It was Hikaru.

Akira didn't know how or why, nor did he care. He only cared that Fudo's Go was exactly like Hikaru's. There was no way he wouldn't recognize it; Hikaru's Go had always been extremely unique. The only person who played like him was the mysterious Sai, whom he had come to accept must have been Hikaru's teacher. Hikaru's Go was so much like Sai's, but with its own flavor to it.

It was part of the reason Akira had prodded Hikaru into helping him write a book; he had hoped it would give him more insight into Hikaru's Go and his mysterious teacher.

This was Hikaru's Go. He was sure of it.

Was it possible Hikaru existed still in spirit form like Akira himself did? He had never questioned his current predicament; he only assumed that his spirit had remained trapped on earth because he had died before accomplishing the Hand of God. He still wanted to play Go—so God had granted his wish.

Was it the same for Hikaru? Were the two of them meant to find the Divine Move together, no matter how many lifetimes it took?

But if that were so, he should be able to see Hikaru. They would never accomplish anything if they couldn't interact with each other. He doubted Jack would agree to be a middleman, and Fudo didn't seem the type either.

Perhaps Hikaru had reincarnated as Fudo? But no, his Go would be subtly different; this was as through Hikaru had merely woken up after being asleep for thirteen years.

He _knew_ Hikaru was there, guiding Fudo's hand. He _knew_ it. He had never been so sure of anything before.

So why couldn't he see Hikaru?

_Kami-sama__,_ Akira thought fiercely, _I understand what you want from me. But I cannot do it without Hikaru. Why can't I know he's there?_

Maybe Hikaru had to recognize his presence as well?

Was it a two-way process? Could they only see each other when each knew the other was there? Hikaru would only know he was there through a game, and one game would do it. Then he would know if that was it.

"Jack."

He felt Jack's gaze move onto him.

"I want to play Fudo once this game is done," he said, his own eyes never leaving the board.

"I don't want to play," Jack answered, as though he had a choice.

"I don't care. We'll play, or I'll make you sick for a week."

Jack didn't say anything to that. He knew Akira would do it without a second thought. Akira had done it before.

He smiled faintly. Now all he had to do was wait for this game to finish.

* * *

Yusei had to admit, he found this game appealing. He would never give up dueling nor riding duels, but he wouldn't mind playing Go once in a while. He might even ask Hikaru to teach him so he could play on his own.

Still, playing two games in a row was a little boring since he had no idea what was happening on the board. He was glad when Tsukune announced his defeat again. They could head back to Jack's apartment and he could try to get some sleep. They had to meet with Director Godwin tomorrow, and he needed to be well rested for that.

"I want to play you now, Yusei," Jack said suddenly. Yusei glanced at him in surprise and little annoyance. He'd been hoping Jack would want to leave as soon as possible.

"For your title?" Yusei asked, although he'd never been good at joking. Jack only smiled faintly, otherwise looking thoroughly pissed off.

"Wrong game for that," Jack said. He only gave Tsukune a passing glance as they switched places and Jack took the spot across from Yusei. Yusei was surprised to see Sanuye standing beside him, actually male for once instead of his preferred female form.

Sanuye smiled when he noticed Yusei was looking at him. "Hey, long time no see, Yusei."

Yusei smiled faintly. "It's good to see you outside a duel."

"It's good to _be_ outside a duel for once." Sanuye grinned and poked Jack in the side of the head. "This guy never lets his 'very soul' take a break."

Jack scowled and swatted at the hand. "You've never complained."

"Because only Yusei would ever listen to me. You wouldn't care," Sanuye answered petulantly.

"Who are you talking to?" Hikaru asked.

Yusei almost glanced at him, surprised that Hikaru couldn't see Sanuye. He'd assumed that Hikaru would be able to see him, if not because he was a spirit himself, then because Yusei could. Apparently, it wasn't that easy.

"_The spirit of Jack's Red Daemon's Dragon card,"_ Yusei answered. _"Both Jack and I can see card spirits, but not everyone can."_

"Of course, Yusei is the only one who ever cares about us," said a voice at his shoulder. Both Yusei and Jack turned to look. Iseul waved a pale hand back at them.

"Yes, he is!" Sanuye agreed.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Are we just going to talk, or can we nigiri already?"

Yusei nodded and placed two black stones on the board. Jack put down a handful of white stones and started counting them out.

"Thirteen. You're white," Jack said. He dumped the stone back in their bowl and handed it to Yusei, who gave him the black stones in return.

"We get komi, then. Good," Hikaru said, tapping his fan again the palm of his hand. Yusei turned his attention back toward the board, but his eyes didn't get that far. They didn't move past Jack's face.

As a duelist himself, he knew that a duelist's expression was often serious to the point of frightening during a duel (unless that duelist was Judai Yuki, who was famous for never looking as though he took a duel seriously). But dueling took place over a large distance or speeding around track, so it was difficult for one duelist to tell the other's expression.

This was different. The space across a Go board was small, and it made it very easy for Yusei to see Jack's expression.

Yusei was sure he'd never seen Jack look so serious or so focused before. His eyes were intense as they stared down at the Go board, so much that Yusei thought he could feel it.

For the first time since they'd parted two years ago, Yusei was excited to face Jack across a battlefield.

Jack placed a stone on the board as though he'd been playing for years. Yusei glanced at Hikaru, waiting for his move. Hikaru was staring at the board with the same intensity as Jack.

"3-4 in the upper right," Hikaru said after several minutes, pointing his fan. Yusei placed the stone and sat back to watch the battle commence. He noticed Iseul and Sanuye sneak out, but didn't pay it any mind. The two had probably seen enough games in their lifetimes.

* * *

Akira.

This was Akira.

Hikaru was finding it difficult to think of what moves to make on the board. He was too shocked and excited. Akira must have died with him—of course he had, they'd been hit by the explosion at the same time—so Akira could be here, now, in the same state as himself, guiding Jack the way he was guiding Yusei.

This was Akira's Go, anyway. He would know it anywhere. He'd played and fought with Akira enough.

But if that were true, why couldn't he see Akira? He had been able to see Sai, and other people had been able to sense Sai's presence at times. Maybe he had to touch Akira's board? Could he touch it? Would it work if Yusei touched it?

Or maybe he would be allowed to see Akira once the game was over? If that was the case, he would just have to try his hardest to win and to show Akira that he was here too.

* * *

Iseul could see both of them, but she wasn't about to say so. She knew Sanuye could too, and that he hadn't said a word about Hikaru to Jack. That was fine; it would be interesting to watch this play out.

"I feel so sorry for him," Sanuye murmured behind her. Sanuye's voice was high and female. Iseul smiled faintly; of course, he would want to feel protected right now. The last Signer he had watched over had been through so much...Sanuye had never been quite the same.

"For who?"

"Hikaru. I wasn't with him, but I know what happened."

Iseul shook her head. "Nor was I. That was Roshan."

"No, you were with Judai..."

"At first. I was with Akira for longer."

Sanuye sighed and sat down on the steps, his eyes staring blankly at the door of the salon. "I'm only glad he doesn't remember what actually happened. He wouldn't be able to handle it."

"He's stronger than you think," Iseul said, sitting next to him. Somewhere along the way, she had reverted to her male form. Sanuye leaned against her.

"I hardly ever saw them. Tokyo is a ways from Duel Academia."

"They're strong. Both of them. That's why they're here now, like this." Iseul sighed and looked down at her arm where a duplicate Mark to Yusei lay. "Fate has an interesting way of playing with us. Who would have guessed those four would ever meet?"

"If only they could meet Judai and Johan too," Sanuye agreed with a faint smile. "It would be like a dream come true for duelists like them."

Iseul nodded. "I miss them..."

"Me too..." Sanuye shook his head. "Fate wasn't fair to those two. But then, Fate is never kind to the Signers."

"No."

Iseul hissed softly as the Mark on her arm started glowing. Sanuye sat up and covered his in a gesture similar to Jack.

"Something's happened," Sanuye murmured, standing up. Now he was male again, ready to fight whatever had caused their Marks to react.

Iseul didn't say anything. She strode forward through the door and back into the room.

* * *

Hikaru sighed beside him, his eyes still on the board. He stuck his fan into his pocket and bowed slightly. "I resign."

"I resign," Yusei repeated, also bowing.

He caught a glimpse of Jack's astonished face before his arm started burning and he had to wince in pain. Across from him, Jack grabbed at his own forearm.

"Why is this burning now?" Jack cried out. Yusei frowned down at his own Mark shining through his shirt sleeve. They hadn't been duelling or trying to provoke each other. Their dragons were in another room. There was no reason for their Marks to burn.

Yusei looked up again and caught Jack's gaze. The blond almost looked frightened.

Then he heard Hikaru gasp. He looked over and gasped himself.

Hikaru's left arm was glowing too.

Hikaru didn't notice his arm. He didn't notice Yusei and Jack's arms either, or the two odd men who had just run into the room through the door. All he saw was Akira and that he really was right there.

"Akira..." he said, unable to move.

"Hikaru..." Akira whispered back, staring at him in shock.

"Akira..." Hikaru suddenly grinned and ran at him. "Akira! It's really you!"

Akira staggered as Hikaru slammed into him and started hugging the life out of him. He heard both Jack and Fudo gasp, but ignored them. All that was important was that Hikaru was really here.

"What the hell is going on?" Jack demanded, staring at them, still clutching his arm in pain. All he knew was that before, he could only see Akira, and now, he could see Akira and another person with ridiculous hair. Maybe someone who would take Akira away and back to heaven?

"Who it that?" Jack demanded at the same time as Yusei. Jack glanced at him; Yusei was staring at the two with the same amount of shock that he felt. Was this person the reason Yusei suddenly knew how to play Go at Akira's level, then?

"Yusei! Jack! Are you okay?" Iseul asked, hurrying over to them with Sanuye behind her. Yusei nodded and looked back at Hikaru and the other ghost. The two had mostly let go of each other, and now both were staring at the dragon spirits in shock.

"What's going on?" Hikaru asked, staring at them but at Iseul in particular. Iseul supposed she might be a sight to see to someone who hadn't seen her before. "Who are you guys?"

"I might ask you the same thing," Jack said. His gaze had fallen from Hikaru's face to his arm, where a dragon mark burned clear as day. Yusei nodded in agreement, though he was looking at the other spirit and the claw mark on his arm. One that he'd seen before, on someone else.

"Maybe we should go home and discuss things there?" Iseul suggested. "You're attracting attention."

They looked around. Indeed, half the salon was staring at the two duelists blatantly, and the rest were trying not to be obvious.

Yusei nodded and starting clearing off the board. "We can wait until we get back."

Jack looked about to protest, but he took one more glance around the room and started helping Yusei clean up. Once they were done, they stood and walked out together, flanked by the four spirits.

As soon as they were out of the room, Jack opened his mouth but then promptly shut it again when Sanuye shook his head.

"This isn't the place, Jack."

Jack scowled at him but kept his mouth shut. Sanuye reverted to his female form, gave Jack a quick hug, and promptly disappeared. Yusei and Iseul shared a look and Iseul disappeared as well.

"We'll explain about them when we get back to Jack's apartment," Yusei said when Hikaru looked at him questioningly. Hikaru nodded, taking it much better than Jack.

"I hate those dragons," Jack muttered.

Yusei ignored him, knowing that really wasn't true. He stopped next to his D-Wheel and put his helmet on. Jack continued on to his own. Hikaru and the other spirit parted as well. As soon as they let go of each other's hands, the other spirit disappeared.

Yusei frowned at the spot where he'd disappeared in confusion, but since Jack glared at a random place in the air a moment later, he assumed the he just couldn't see the ghost anymore.

"Let's go," Hikaru said, trying to sound eager and failing. Yusei could see the look of apprehension the ghost gave his D-Wheel.

He felt a little bad for Hikaru as they both got on the D-Wheel. Hikaru obviously didn't like it, and Yusei would be giving up his D-Wheel any time soon.


End file.
